Drill cores from 18 exploratory holes that were drilled into the unleached saline beds were tested for mechanical properties by the Bureau of Mines. Test cores were primarily selected from zones l4b, r4b, l3, and r3a in the Piceance Creek Basin, Rio Blanco County, Colorado. Regression analysis techniques were tried in an attempt to relate kerogen yield or apparent specific gravity to the parameters compressive strength, young's modulus, and poisson's ratio. Correlation coefficients were very poor, indicating that this type of analysis was not amenable to these data. Analysis of variance techniques were tried using a division of either greater than or less than 10% nahcolite together with the requirement of less than 3% dawsonite. Results showed that a larger percentage of nahcolite tended to lower the compressive strength and to increase young's modulus. A second analysis was made using a division of less than 3% dawsonite and greater than 3% dawsonite together with the requirement of less than 1% nahcolite. Creep data obtained from nahcolite- and dawsonite-rich oil shales provides a best fit to a modified power equation. Work done in cooperation with the superior oil company.